Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
People living in the woods
Posted by:
Take a Stand
()
Date: November 15, 2007 05:07PM
How many of you have seen the 'shanty towns' in the woods around this area..
I was mt. biking last month and came across 5 or 6 tents set up in the woods near oakton not to far off the single track trails..
then this morning I was driving from Gainesville on I-66 ,I crossed the FFx county line and no more that 20 feet from the barbwire deer fence, I see a tent set up in the woods near a small drainage pond.. it looked like it had been there awhile. I wonder if thats where all the forclosed homeowners are going..
"hey man, me and the ol'lady are holed up in a tent in the woods.. could you spare some change."
When I was real young maybe 15 or 16 years ago. I remember a big shanty town in the woods behind where the Weis and Service Mechandise was..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2007 05:10PM by Take a Stand.
I was mt. biking last month and came across 5 or 6 tents set up in the woods near oakton not to far off the single track trails..
then this morning I was driving from Gainesville on I-66 ,I crossed the FFx county line and no more that 20 feet from the barbwire deer fence, I see a tent set up in the woods near a small drainage pond.. it looked like it had been there awhile. I wonder if thats where all the forclosed homeowners are going..
"hey man, me and the ol'lady are holed up in a tent in the woods.. could you spare some change."
When I was real young maybe 15 or 16 years ago. I remember a big shanty town in the woods behind where the Weis and Service Mechandise was..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2007 05:10PM by Take a Stand.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Jester
()
Date: November 15, 2007 05:13PM
That's where Gravis lives. Small blue tent that says "coleman" on the tag. He has free interent also.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
BR
()
Date: November 15, 2007 05:30PM
Off in the woods between Centreville and West Ox Rd, where McLearen Road runs now, before the Food Lion and all those houses on Motherwell and Cobra went up, there were a couple of little encampments like that. One was a big old school bus that someone was clearly living in. I think I heard later on that construction workers in the area used it as a "crash pad" of sorts. A friend and I hiked up there one day and didn't see anyone there, but there was some old beater car parked there and a lot of junk scattered about suggesting it was inhabited to some degree.
A pinch west of that, tucked in the pines by the CSC building, we found some little hobo shack with pots and pans and a bunch of other crap lying around...it was probably just a meth lab now that I think about it. This was right around where Tires Plus is today.
Every once in a while we'd come across something that looked like it might be a campground of sorts, but it was probably just an improvised trash dump.
A pinch west of that, tucked in the pines by the CSC building, we found some little hobo shack with pots and pans and a bunch of other crap lying around...it was probably just a meth lab now that I think about it. This was right around where Tires Plus is today.
Every once in a while we'd come across something that looked like it might be a campground of sorts, but it was probably just an improvised trash dump.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
RAT'Z AZZ
()
Date: November 15, 2007 05:32PM
Iteeets whhare al of us beaners ar leeving in dis countri Ameego.
We reeeli luv Preenc Wilhem de beest!!!
Attachments:
We reeeli luv Preenc Wilhem de beest!!!
Attachments:
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
tacotowncenter
()
Date: November 17, 2007 11:28AM
They are here for a better life try to honor their culture try to learn their language and stop being a racist.
NO WAY Actually it totally sucks these people are is what I'm saying.
NO WAY Actually it totally sucks these people are is what I'm saying.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Take-it-back
()
Date: November 17, 2007 02:16PM
Join-the-cause...
www.centrevillecitizens.org or www.helpsavevirginia.com
www.centrevillecitizens.org or www.helpsavevirginia.com
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Vince
()
Date: November 17, 2007 02:26PM
Thet are prrobably just out of luck folks...
The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the nation's homeless veterans are mostly males (4 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.
The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the nation's homeless veterans are mostly males (4 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
duh
()
Date: November 17, 2007 03:29PM
You're right, Vince.
I used to have one of my offices in Georgetown and there is a large homeless population down near the river....and a lot are vets. Over the years, I got to know many of them quite well and even hired them occasionally for odd jobs like shoveling snow.
Let me tell you, I never met one that wanted to live any other way, they loved their lives on the street. Too many of them told me that to my face for it to have been delusional rambling. I'll admit I sort of envied their carefree lifestyles at times. All were drunks and most probably had mental problems of some sort, but 99% were quite sane and pretty nice guys.
There was one guy I got to know particularly well....a Korean War vet called "Feets". He was an incredibly intelligent guy who could easily have supported himself comfortably. But, he told me many, many times that he wouldn't have it (homelessness) any other way.
He used to disappear occasionally and I would worry that something happened to him. I'd ask one of the other guys, "Where's Feets?" "He's up at the VA, drying out, he'll be back in a couple weeks". I never felt sorry for him...he was happy and living life on his own terms.
I haven't seen him in the 10 years since I closed that office...but whenever I'm driving in Georgetown, I look at all the "bums" to see if I can spot Feets, but haven't. I'd like to have a drink with him, just for old time's sake. He'd be pretty old now and could well have passed on by now.
I used to have one of my offices in Georgetown and there is a large homeless population down near the river....and a lot are vets. Over the years, I got to know many of them quite well and even hired them occasionally for odd jobs like shoveling snow.
Let me tell you, I never met one that wanted to live any other way, they loved their lives on the street. Too many of them told me that to my face for it to have been delusional rambling. I'll admit I sort of envied their carefree lifestyles at times. All were drunks and most probably had mental problems of some sort, but 99% were quite sane and pretty nice guys.
There was one guy I got to know particularly well....a Korean War vet called "Feets". He was an incredibly intelligent guy who could easily have supported himself comfortably. But, he told me many, many times that he wouldn't have it (homelessness) any other way.
He used to disappear occasionally and I would worry that something happened to him. I'd ask one of the other guys, "Where's Feets?" "He's up at the VA, drying out, he'll be back in a couple weeks". I never felt sorry for him...he was happy and living life on his own terms.
I haven't seen him in the 10 years since I closed that office...but whenever I'm driving in Georgetown, I look at all the "bums" to see if I can spot Feets, but haven't. I'd like to have a drink with him, just for old time's sake. He'd be pretty old now and could well have passed on by now.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Sgt. Rock
()
Date: November 17, 2007 05:04PM
I agree, there are quite a number of homeless vets. However, I have also
found "campgrounds" in wooded areas that are not vets, but illegals. A friend
of mine who knows these things much better than I tells me that sometimes the
wife wont let Pedro hang around the house when he's been drinking and he
can co-miserate with his buddies. Check this one out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m14ihj3w4wA
found "campgrounds" in wooded areas that are not vets, but illegals. A friend
of mine who knows these things much better than I tells me that sometimes the
wife wont let Pedro hang around the house when he's been drinking and he
can co-miserate with his buddies. Check this one out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m14ihj3w4wA
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Jack
()
Date: November 17, 2007 06:30PM
Why should I have to honor their culture? This is America I live in America not Mexico. I don't have to recognize any foreign culture what-so-ever. Explain to me why you also suggest people learn their language? If you want to come to America for a better life do it legally and learn the English language. If I were to move to a foreign country I would learn THEIR language not expecting them to learn mine. The people of this country(citizens) should not have to accommodate to the people wanting to live here. Not to mention we don't need anymore immigrants flooding in here by the millions, there isn't enough jobs anymore. They're taking them all and bankrupting the system. Wake up your head is still in the sand obviously.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Lurker.
()
Date: November 17, 2007 06:35PM
There use to be a bum downtown that would stand on the sidwalk and compliment everybody who walked by. He'd say stuff like "nice tie" or "great dress." His strategy worked, people use to drop all sorts of money in his cup.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Gravis
()
Date: November 17, 2007 07:54PM
tacotowncenter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are here for a better life try to honor their
> culture try to learn their language and stop being
> a racist.
i have a better idea, how about they honor my culture and learn my language and stop being racist? besides, if their culture is so great, why did they leave it?
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are here for a better life try to honor their
> culture try to learn their language and stop being
> a racist.
i have a better idea, how about they honor my culture and learn my language and stop being racist? besides, if their culture is so great, why did they leave it?
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
manticore
()
Date: November 17, 2007 08:18PM
its amazing how many people missed the inherent sarcasm in that one "learn their langauge" post...
I've seen the remains (?) of a shanty town in both the woods in burke (near burke centre) and in fairfax city once. i doubt people were in the fairfax city one long, the cops REALLY don't seem to like visible homeless people regardless of what they're doing
ever since we stopped forcibly commiting everyone (including people without real mental problems, which is why this is a good thing on some points) and let people decide if they were sane enough to be wander the streets on their own the numbers of 'crazy' homeless people has skyrocketed. that rule was followed up by just closing down half the mental health places and kicking those that the state didnt feel like paying for anymore to the curb.
yeah, we have services for those people but the task of getting into them can be daunting. it doesnt help that one of the side effects of being crazy is not realizing that those voices in your head aren't really god but you also have a tendency to think the man is poisoning you with his medications. it would be nice if they would stop arresting people and mandate that they go through some sort of counseling or rehab or something but again, there are people for which this is a choice and it would be unfair to force them through that i guess.
we should have more caves. living in caves would be neat
I've seen the remains (?) of a shanty town in both the woods in burke (near burke centre) and in fairfax city once. i doubt people were in the fairfax city one long, the cops REALLY don't seem to like visible homeless people regardless of what they're doing
ever since we stopped forcibly commiting everyone (including people without real mental problems, which is why this is a good thing on some points) and let people decide if they were sane enough to be wander the streets on their own the numbers of 'crazy' homeless people has skyrocketed. that rule was followed up by just closing down half the mental health places and kicking those that the state didnt feel like paying for anymore to the curb.
yeah, we have services for those people but the task of getting into them can be daunting. it doesnt help that one of the side effects of being crazy is not realizing that those voices in your head aren't really god but you also have a tendency to think the man is poisoning you with his medications. it would be nice if they would stop arresting people and mandate that they go through some sort of counseling or rehab or something but again, there are people for which this is a choice and it would be unfair to force them through that i guess.
we should have more caves. living in caves would be neat
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Numbers
()
Date: November 17, 2007 08:41PM
manticore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> we should have more caves. living in caves would
> be neat
Osama seems to like it.
-------------------------------------------------------
> we should have more caves. living in caves would
> be neat
Osama seems to like it.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Cactus Jack
()
Date: November 17, 2007 08:42PM
The reason they stay on the street or in tent citys is homeless shelters require they be in by a certain time and no alcohol or drugs are permitted. Most choose the street life for the freedom or living off the work of others and non stop booze and drugs.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Phil
()
Date: November 18, 2007 12:36AM
I once took a shit in the woods.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
slimey
()
Date: November 18, 2007 02:47AM
Phil Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I once took a shit in the woods.
Bears do that all the time. Is that your only wilderness experience?
-------------------------------------------------------
> I once took a shit in the woods.
Bears do that all the time. Is that your only wilderness experience?
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Vince
()
Date: November 18, 2007 02:08PM
Is there a single issue..a single problem...a single ill of society where the illegal immigrant isnt raised? Yes, I am sure there are legal and illegal immigrants living in the woods....but come on...we seem to be in the Salem Witch mode...hysterialy claiming that this new devil is responsible for everything!
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Sabrina
()
Date: November 18, 2007 05:22PM
Vince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there a single issue..a single problem...a
> single ill of society where the illegal immigrant
> isnt raised? Yes, I am sure there are legal and
> illegal immigrants living in the woods....but come
> on...we seem to be in the Salem Witch
> mode...hysterialy claiming that this new devil is
> responsible for everything!
It IS!
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there a single issue..a single problem...a
> single ill of society where the illegal immigrant
> isnt raised? Yes, I am sure there are legal and
> illegal immigrants living in the woods....but come
> on...we seem to be in the Salem Witch
> mode...hysterialy claiming that this new devil is
> responsible for everything!
It IS!
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Meade
()
Date: November 18, 2007 05:31PM
I once jacked off in the woods.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
sm0ke
()
Date: November 18, 2007 11:07PM
I once twice frequently smoke pot in the woods.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Vince
()
Date: November 19, 2007 06:45AM
me too..and not too long ago....
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
SE
()
Date: December 05, 2007 06:57PM
Take a Stand Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> then this morning I was driving from Gainesville
> on I-66 ,I crossed the FFx county line and no more
> that 20 feet from the barbwire deer fence, I see a
> tent set up in the woods near a small drainage
> pond..
I saw this yesterday!! Couldnt get a good look at it, but it didnt look like anyone lived in it.
>
>
> When I was real young maybe 15 or 16 years ago. I
> remember a big shanty town in the woods behind
> where the Weis and Service Mechandise was..
Behind sully plaza?
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> then this morning I was driving from Gainesville
> on I-66 ,I crossed the FFx county line and no more
> that 20 feet from the barbwire deer fence, I see a
> tent set up in the woods near a small drainage
> pond..
I saw this yesterday!! Couldnt get a good look at it, but it didnt look like anyone lived in it.
>
>
> When I was real young maybe 15 or 16 years ago. I
> remember a big shanty town in the woods behind
> where the Weis and Service Mechandise was..
Behind sully plaza?
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
LuLu
()
Date: December 07, 2007 09:30PM
There is actually a homeless person who lives in the strip of trees between my neighborhood and a metro parking lot. He's been there a while, and every year when the leaves fall we see his tent is still there.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
SE
()
Date: December 25, 2007 01:07AM
I was talking to my Aunt today, and she recently volunteered to deliver meals to the homeless with her friend's Church. She said they stopped at the Anchorage and the Breezeway, apparently they now house the homeless. She also met a bunch of homeless who live in the woods right by her house, behind the storage place on waples mill & 29. She said there are a bunch of them, all in tents in the little patch of trees. Did anyone know this? I'm kind of taken aback by it.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
LuLu
()
Date: December 25, 2007 02:10AM
Ahh, the homeless have been staying at the Anchorage and Breezeway for a while now. They are in plain sight in the cheap motels and wooded areas all over Fairfax City/County.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
TRICKIE
()
Date: December 25, 2007 05:10AM
Yes there are many people living in the Fairfax City area. That area off Waples Mill may also be a homesite. I see the homeless a lot around that area. I see them at Bloom's alot. It used to be a Food Lion.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Gravis
()
Date: December 25, 2007 09:37AM
why not just go to a homeless shelter? im sure it's much warmer there.
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
duh
()
Date: December 25, 2007 10:46AM
Hey wait, there's different types of homeless people.
The single male/female types are the ones you see in the woods and in parking lots.
Then there's the welfare queens with a bunch of kids....THOSE are the type that the City/County puts up in cheap motels like the Breezeway or Anchorage.
FCPS school buses transport kids to and from there every school day.
While the first type might, if they had a good day panhandling, check into the Breezeway/Anchorage occasionally...they do not live there. The County only pays to put up homeless kids there.
The single male/female types are the ones you see in the woods and in parking lots.
Then there's the welfare queens with a bunch of kids....THOSE are the type that the City/County puts up in cheap motels like the Breezeway or Anchorage.
FCPS school buses transport kids to and from there every school day.
While the first type might, if they had a good day panhandling, check into the Breezeway/Anchorage occasionally...they do not live there. The County only pays to put up homeless kids there.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
bender
()
Date: December 25, 2007 07:55PM
They do not go to homeless shelters because they have rules. No drugs and no alcohol and they have to be in by a certain time and they have to go out in the morning by a certain time, excuse me while I gag, to look for a job. Even these few requirements are enough to scare away the most dedicated freeloader.
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
Shameless
()
Date: December 25, 2007 09:59PM
The real question is: Can they be legally hunted?
Maybe FFX county can have a homeless bow season or even a homeless muzzle loader season...
Maybe FFX county can have a homeless bow season or even a homeless muzzle loader season...
Re: People living in the woods
Posted by:
SE
()
Date: December 26, 2007 01:18PM
bender Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They do not go to homeless shelters because they
> have rules. No drugs and no alcohol and they have
> to be in by a certain time and they have to go out
> in the morning by a certain time, excuse me while
> I gag, to look for a job. Even these few
> requirements are enough to scare away the most
> dedicated freeloader.
I agree. My Aunt was saying how most of the people she spoke to (donating food last week) had either lost their jobs, had an illness, or something like that. She also said they had a lot of dignity, she was giving out scarves/gloves/hats and most men didnt want them as they did not "match" their winter coats. Hearing this made me not feel sorry for them. Talk about not biting the hand that feeds you. She was a little freaked out that there are so many living by her house, in a 600K+ neighborhood. I guess there are more tent citys in the area than we realize.
Hearing that the homeless live at the Anchorage kinda freaks me out, lol. We had many a party there in high school, lmao!
-------------------------------------------------------
> They do not go to homeless shelters because they
> have rules. No drugs and no alcohol and they have
> to be in by a certain time and they have to go out
> in the morning by a certain time, excuse me while
> I gag, to look for a job. Even these few
> requirements are enough to scare away the most
> dedicated freeloader.
I agree. My Aunt was saying how most of the people she spoke to (donating food last week) had either lost their jobs, had an illness, or something like that. She also said they had a lot of dignity, she was giving out scarves/gloves/hats and most men didnt want them as they did not "match" their winter coats. Hearing this made me not feel sorry for them. Talk about not biting the hand that feeds you. She was a little freaked out that there are so many living by her house, in a 600K+ neighborhood. I guess there are more tent citys in the area than we realize.
Hearing that the homeless live at the Anchorage kinda freaks me out, lol. We had many a party there in high school, lmao!